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One of my favourite pastimes is cruising the internet for free computer stuff;
not free computers, but free applications, games, utilities and music. Many
dedicated, extremely talented people are developing high quality software and
then giving it away. For every sort of program you can name, somewhere out
there is a free version.
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The first question many of our clients ask is, "What's in it for these
people?" I like this question. A healthy scepticism is a useful tool when
surfing the web. Freeware and shareware publishers fall into three large
categories: open source, commercial, and exploitive. Open source publishers
believe that computer wares should be free for all to enjoy. They freely
provide not only applications, but the code used to create them. Commercial
publishers hope to encourage sales by giving away free samples. They usually
offer versions of their programs that are limited in either time or
functionality. Sometimes called shareware, these applications are often very
useful. The exploiters have what is usually called a hidden agenda. The two
main forms of exploitation are spyware and tantalizing links to
nowhere.
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Spyware programs collect information from your computer and pass it on to
anyone who knows how to ask for it. Some applications remember all your
passwords, some keep track of the websites you visit, or the purchases you make
online. The information may be sold to a third party. Spyware is often
hidden inside otherwise useful programs, such as GetRight.
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Tantalizing links to nowhere result from an ages-old marketing ploy being
abused by internet entrepreneurs. Many companies pay a referral fee to anyone
who directs potential customers to their website, in about the same way that
the doorman at a Tijuana tavern is paid for every customer that he steers
through the door. Certain individuals realized that users could be lured to
websites that contained nothing but links to other websites. The unwitting
person is often forwarded automatically to one or more paying sites, which in
turn forward the person to more such sites, creating an endless tunnel of
pop-up advertisements.
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How can you take advantage of all the great free stuff, while protecting
yourself from the exploiters? Along with your healthy scepticism, you should
develop a library of trusted freeware and shareware sites. Non-exploitive
websites frequently store applications on their own server. This is nerd-speak
for "they keep the items they offer in stock." These sites also tend to load
quickly and have few, if any ads. You can find some good examples on the
"Links" page of the Understanding Computers website,
www.understandingcomputers.ca.
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One of our links goes to a great program from
Lavasoft
called Ad-Aware.
Ad-Aware routes out spyware and lets you delete the offending files, usually
without disrupting the host application. Don't be surprised if you discover
ten or more spyware applications on your computer.
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Finally, if you find yourself in a tunnel of pop-up advertising, close your
browser. If need be, disconnect from the internet and close all the pop-up
windows, then re-connect.
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